U.S. patent number 3,946,407 [Application Number 05/502,534] was granted by the patent office on 1976-03-23 for manually operated photocomposing apparatus.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Shaken Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Shigeru Fuse, Kiyoshi Ishii, Masatake Takashima.
United States Patent |
3,946,407 |
Ishii , et al. |
March 23, 1976 |
Manually operated photocomposing apparatus
Abstract
A photocomposing apparatus is disclosed which makes use of a
camera means, memory means and display means, which can select
character from a character matrix and store all of the characters
thus selected as an image signal in the memory means, which can
determine the amount of feed of each character after characters to
be composed on a line having a given length or in a block have been
selected, and which can display the character on the display means
and its photograph can be taken on a photosensitive medium, thereby
effecting printing of the characters.
Inventors: |
Ishii; Kiyoshi (Tokyo,
JA), Fuse; Shigeru (Tokyo, JA), Takashima;
Masatake (Tokyo, JA) |
Assignee: |
Shaken Co., Ltd. (Tokyo,
JA)
|
Family
ID: |
14257509 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/502,534 |
Filed: |
September 3, 1974 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 5, 1973 [JA] |
|
|
48-99822 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
396/550; 400/110;
400/304; 345/472.3; 345/467; 396/552 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B41B
19/08 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B41B
19/08 (20060101); B41B 19/00 (20060101); G03B
019/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;354/6
;340/324A,324AD |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Moses; R. L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Fisher, Spivak, McClelland
& Maier
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A manually operated photocomposing apparatus comprising:
a character matrix comprising characters, marks and character width
codes,
means for selecting the characters and marks,
character width detecting means for reading out the character width
codes corresponding to the characters and marks selected by the
character selecting means,
means for photoelectrically converting an image of the selected
character or mark,
an instruction button group for defining various kinds of
information and for applying the information as input signals,
a control circuit connected to the character width detecting means
and the instruction button group for calculating and determining a
feed amount of the character selected by the selecting means in
accordance with an information signal from the instruction button
group and a character width information signal to determine the
feed amount,
memory means connected to the photoelectrically converting means
and control circuit for memorizing the photoelectrically converted
character image in accordance with the order of character selected
and for storing the feed amount determined by the control
circuit,
monitor display means connected to the memory means and control
circuit for reading out the content of the memory means and control
circuit to reproduce and display the read out content,
display means connected to the memory means for reading out and
displaying the image and the feed amount memorized in the memory
means,
print means for printing the image displayed at the display means
onto a photosensitive medium.
2. A photocomposing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
memory means is composed of an image recording device connected to
an output terminal of said photoelectric converting means, a
shutter number counter circuit connected to said character
selecting means and to said image recording device, a character
space counter circuit connected to said character selecting means,
and a feed amount memory device connected to an output of said
character space counter circuit.
3. A photocomposing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
monitor display means is composed of a display television device, a
display refresh memory connected to outputs of said image recording
device and said feed amount memory device, respectively, and
delivering a signal to said display television device, a character
position display device, and a print position register connected to
an output of said control device of said control circuit and
delivering a signal to said character position display device.
4. A manually operated photocomposing apparatus comprising a
character matrix, means for selecting characters, marks and the
like contained in said character matrix, means for
photoelectrically converting an image of the character selected by
said character selecting means, and a print means for forming the
image of the character selected on a photosensitive medium, said
apparatus comprising a memory means connected to said
photoelectrically converting means and storing a photoelectrically
converted character image until the feed of said character image is
determined, a counter means connected to said memory means and
calculating an amount of feed of a group of characters stored in
said memory means, and a display means connected to said memory
means and reading out, reproducing and displaying the character
image whose amount of feed is determined, whereby character images
displayed by said display means are printed by said print means in
the order displayed, said memory means being composed of an image
recording device connected to an output terminal of said
photoelectric converting means, a shutter number counter circuit
connected to said character selecting means and to said image
recording device, a character space counter circuit connected to
said character selecting means, and a feed amount memory device
connected to an output of said character space counter circuit, a
monitor display means which is capable of correcting said character
image by effecting addition and removal of any desired character,
said monitor display means being composed of a display television
device, a display refresh memory connected to outputs of said image
recording device and said feed amount memory device, respectively,
and delivering a signal to said display television device, a
character position display device, and a print position register
connected to an output of said control device of said control
circuit and delivering a signal to said character position display
device.
5. A manually operated photocomposing apparatus comprising a
character matrix, means for selecting characters, marks and the
like contained in said character matrix, means for
photoelectrically converting an image of the character selected by
said character selecting means, and a print means for forming the
image of the character selected on a photosensitive medium, said
apparatus comprising a memory means connected to said
photoelectrically converting means and storing a photoelectrically
converted character image until the feed of said character image is
determined, a counter means connected to said memory means and
calculating an amount of feed of a group of characters stored in
said memory means, and a display means connected to said memory
means and reading out, reproducing and displaying the character
image whose amount of feed is determined, whereby character images
displayed by said display means are printed by said print means in
the order displayed, said memory means being composed of an image
recording device connected to an output terminal of said
photoelectric converting means, a shutter number counter circuit
connected to said character selecting means and to said image
recording device, a character space counter circuit connected to
said character selecting means, and a feed amount memory device
connected to an output of said character space counter circuit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to photocomposing apparatuses and more
particularly to a manually operating photocomposing apparatus which
can store as an image signal all of characters which have been
selected from a character matrix, which can determine the amount of
feed of each character and subsequently reproduce a character image
on a display means, and which can print the displayed character
image on a photosensitive medium.
Contrary to a composing apparatus, a conventional photocomposing
apparatus has the disadvantage that it is extremely difficult to
displace those characters which have been printed on a
photosensitive medium for the purpopse of correcting the characters
or adjusting a character space. As a result, in the case of using
the connventional manually operating photocomposing apparatus so as
to effect a special composition in which the amount of feed of the
characters could not easily be determined such, for example, as
solid composition to be effected within a line having a given
length, European character form, form of chemical symbols and the
like, it has been the common practice to require prior to composing
a very troublesome pretreatment such as distribution of characters
or so-called allotment calculation, calculation of the amount of
feed of characters and the like.
In the case of effecting a sort of special so-called solid
photocomposition of those characters which are sufficiently spaced
apart from each other such, for example, as "W" and "A" as well as
A and "T" as shown in FIG. 1a and Japanese Kana (character) " "
(shi) and " " (U) as shown in FIG. 2a, the character space is
reduced and a portion of each character is protruded into the
adjacent character region as shown in FIG. 1b and FIG. 2b,
respectively. Such solid photocomposition has required a careful
pretreatment. In addition, print in practice has required
troublesome operations such as change of the amount of feed and the
like and considerably long time, and as a result, a great burden
had been imposed on an operator of the conventional photocomposing
apparatus.
That is, in the customary composition of Japanese characters, the
amount of feed of the characters is uniformly determined if the
size of characters is determined. In the solid composition,
however, the presence of a character space renders it possible to
reduce the amount of feed of these characters, while the absence of
such space makes the reduction impossible. In addition, the amount
which is capable of reducing the amount of feed could not clearly
be determined unless the adjacent characters are aligned with each
other. As a result, heretofore it has been the common practice to
print the characters to be solidly printed on films and the like
and superimpose these films one upon the other so as to calculate
that amount of feed which can be reduced or to provide a
photocomposing apparatus which can form an image of the characters
to be printed on a finder and the like. In such photocomposing
apparatus, the image formed on the finder is transferred onto a
sheet of paper and the like and then the image of character to be
printed is formed adjacent to the preceeding image, whereby the
amount of feed which can be reduced is calculated.
These methods have the disadvantage that it is difficult to
precisely calculate the amount of feed which can be reduced, that
the above described calculation must be effected for each
character, that a plenty of time is required, and that a great
burden is imposed on an operator of the photocomposing
apparatus.
As above described, Japanese characters " " (shi) and " " (u) shown
in FIG. 2a can be solidly composed as those shown in FIG. 2b. In
order to obtain the composed as shown in FIG. 2b, the characters "
" (shi) and " " (u) are divided into A to J portions in X direction
and a to j portions in Y direction. Spaces between those portions
which can be overlapped with each other are reduced so as to
suuperimpose Jf portion of the character (shi) upon Gf portion of
the character (u). As seen from FIG. 2c, if the character space is
reduced by 7 portions or steps, then the picture image of one of
the characters overlaps the other character, so that it is
preferable to reduce the space between the two characters by 6
portions or steps as shown in FIG. 2b. As a result, if the number
of divided units a to j and A to J are made equal to the number of
feed units of the photocomposing apparatus, a desired solid
composition can be effected.
If the prohibition mark "(" is present at the end of line 1 as
shown in FIG. 3a, this prohibition mark is made located at the
beginning of line 2 as shown in FIG. 3b, and as a result, the
number of characters on line 1 shown in FIG. 3a is reduced. Thus,
it is necessary to suitably increase the character space so as to
make its line length equal to the line length of line 2 as shown in
FIG. 3b. Such treatment is called as a line end prohibition
treatment. Similarly, if the prohibition mark is present at the
beginning of line, so-called line beginning prohibition treatment
can be effected. Thus, the operator of the photocomposing apparatus
must always pay his attention to the position of the prohibition
mark. If the prohibition mark is located at a position from which
the prohibition mark must be removed by the prohibition treatment
or the prohibition mark located at the end of a line is transferred
to the beginning of the next line, the remainder of characters on
the preceeding line must increase a spacing therebetween and the
amount of feed of one character must be distributed over several
characters by calculation.
In Japan, about 5,000 characters are used so that it is
substantially impossible to take all of the above combinations of
these characters into consideration. As a result, these
combinations must manually be effected by an operator. Such manual
operation becomes very troublesome if a case at which a line length
is given or another case at which the line length is not given are
taken into consideration.
Similarly, in the case of composing European characters whose
widths are different from each other on a given length of line,
whether or not the characters can be aligned on the given line
could not be discriminated unless the print has been completed. As
a result, a trial print is previously effected so as to ascertain
the presence of the remainder of the line length and then a
calculation is effected so as to allocate the remainder of the line
length over word spaces, and finally a real print must be effected.
Such steps in succession imposed a great burden on an operator of
the conventional photocomposing apparatus and provided the
disadvantage that a composition efficiency becomes lowered and that
the composition becomes erroneous.
Even in the photocomposing apparatus which does not require the
above described trial printing, a careful pretreatment of effecting
an allotment calculation has been required prior to the real
printing in the above described special form such as a prohibition
treatment, setting calculation, flush right and left, flush
centered, chemical constructional formula form, music note and the
like. In addition, such operation of changing the amount of feed
must be effected at every printing. The prohibition treatment shall
be understood to mean a treatment in which special marks which are
called as prohibition marks such as period "." and ".degree." or
parenthesis mark "(" should not be located at the beginning of line
or at the end of line. In addition, in the case of real printing,
the amount of feed must be changed in response to the prohibition
treatment. Such treatments must also be effected in the case of
special forms such as form calculation, flush right and left, flush
centered, chemical constructional formula form, music note and the
like. Thus, a careful allotment calculation must be effected prior
to the real printing. In addition, the amount of feed must be
changed every time the printing is effected. As a result, similar
to the above described solid composition and composition of the
European characters, a great burden is imposed on an operator of
the photocomposing apparatus and an composition efficiency becomes
lowered and the composition becomes erroneous.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a photocomposing apparatus
which can obviate troublesome pretreatments and operations such as
character allocation, calculation on the amount of feed of
characters, trial printing, change of the amount of feed of
characters and the like which have been encountered with special
composition at which the amount of feed of characters could not
uniformly be determined for each character width such, for example,
as a solid composition within a given length of line, European
composition, setting composition, flush right and left, flush
centered, music note, and which can relieve the burden imposed on
an operator.
Another object of the invention is to provide a photocomposing
apparatus further comprising a monitor display means and which is
capable of correcting character image by effecting addition and
removal of any desired character.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is intended to obviate troublesome operations which
have been encountered with a conventional manually operating
photocomposing apparatus owing to the above described various
reasons in principle of photocomposition and relates to a manually
operating photocomposing apparatus which can store as an image
signal all of characters which have been selected from a character
matrix, which can determine the amount of feed of each character
and subsequently reproduce a character image on a display means,
which can use a camera means, memory means and display means to
select a character and store the character signal thus selected as
an image signal in the memory means, which can determine the amount
of feed of each character after the character to be printed on a
line having a given length or in a block has been selected, and
which can display the character on the display means and take its
photograph on a photosensitive medium, thereby effecting
printing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a shows customary European characters;
FIG. 1b shows similarly the characters shown in FIG. 1a and solidly
composed;
FIG. 2a shows customary Japanese characters;
Fig. 2b shows similarly the characters shown in FIG. 2a and solidly
composed;
FIG. 2c shows similarly the characters shown in FIG. 2a and divided
into a number of portions for ease of illustration;
FIG. 3a shows Japanese characters having a prohibition mark ( at
the end thereof under a condition prior to a prohibition
treatment;
FIG. 3b shows similarly the Japanese characters under a condition
after the prohibition treatment;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view for schematically showing a
conventional photocomposing apparatus;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view for schematically showing a
photocomposing apparatus according to the invention; and
FIG. 6 shows similarly the photocomposing apparatus shown in FIG. 5
in greater detail.
In FIG. 4 is shown the essentials of an example of a manual
photocomposing apparatus heretofore proposed. Light from a light
source 1 illuminates through a lens system 2, mirror 3 and lens 4
upon a character matrix 5. Images of characters and mark at the
exposure position of the character matrix 5 are incident through a
masking-device 6 for permitting light of only one exposure
character to reach a lens cylinder upon a lens in a lens cylinder 8
mounted on a turret 7. The lens in the lens cylinder 8 serves to
change the magnification of the images of characters and marks.
These images of characters and marks pass through a shutter S and a
photograph thereof is taken on a photosensitive medium 11 disposed
on a drum 10 in a magazine 9. The lens turret 7 is rotatable about
an axis 12 and provided at its periphery with a desired number of
lens cylinder 8. As a result, a rotation of the turret 7 ensures
change in magnification of the characters and marks in the
character matrix 5 and print of these characters and marks on the
photosensitive medium 11. The character matrix 5 is mounted on a
frame 13 adapted to be moved in directions shown by arrows 17, 19
in a manner such that the characters at any position on the
character matrix 5 can be positioned under the masking device 6. In
the present example, the character matrix 5 is composed of three
small character matrices and one large character matrix, each of
these character matrices being mounted on the movable frame 13. The
frame 13 is provided at its end and side edges with racks 14 which
engage with position defining members 15, respectively. In the case
of composing characters, the movable frame 13 is moved by an
operator's hand to bring a desired character into composing
alignment with the masking device 6 and then the position defining
member 15 is operated to cause it to be engaged with the rack 14,
thereby making the movable frame 13 stationary. Subsequently, the
shutter S is released to project the light beam passed through the
desired character upon the photosensitive medium 11, whereby
photograph of the desired character can be taken on the
photosensitive medium 11. After the photograph of the desired
character has been taken, a given feed operation and release of the
position defining member 15 are effected to be ready for the next
character printing.
In FIG. 5 is schematically shown an embodiment of a manually
operating photocomposing apparatus according to the invention.
Reference numeral 40 designates a light source, 41 a condenser
lens, 42 a shutter, 43 a character matrix, 44 a lens, 45 a
television camera means such as vidicon, image orthicon and the
like, 46 a memory means for storing a scanning signal corresponding
to selected character such as a video tape recorder, disc
accumulator tube, semiconductor memory and the like, 47 a display
tube composed of a cathode ray tube and the like, 48 a lens, 49 a
photosensitive medium, 50 a feed circuit inclusive of a pulse motor
and the like for shifting the photosensitive medium or a travelling
lens system (not shown) everytime the photosensitive medium 49 is
printed by the selected character and after printing over one line
has been completed, 51 a group of instruction buttons (FIG. 6) for
delivering instructions for printing operation and for various
kinds of typesetting inclusive of type closing, prohibition
treatment and the like, and 52 a control circuit for calculating
the amount of feed of a group of characters stored in the memory
means 46 and controlling circuits of the shutter 42, display tube
47 and feed circuit 50. In FIG. 5, the shutter 42 is disposed
between the condenser lens 41 and the character matrix 43.
Alternatively, the shutter 42 may be disposed between the character
matrix 43 and the lens 44 or between the lens 44 and the camera
means 45. In addition, as the light source 40 use may be made of a
flash lamp instead of a customary electric bulb shown in FIG. 5. In
the case of using the flash lamp, the shutter 42 may be dispensed
with. In addition, in order to omit the lens 48 for projecting the
character image on the display means 7 onto the photosensitive
medium 49, the display means per se may be composed of, for
example, an optical fiber transfer tube which can directly project
the character image onto the photosensitive medium 49.
If the operator causes the character matrix 43 to be moved to and
fro and to left and right so as to register a desired character
into exposure position and then a print button 51a of the
instruction button group 51 (FIG. 6) is pushed, a signal is
delivered from the control circuit 52 to the shutter 42. The
shutter 42 is thus opened and closed to project the image of the
character on the character matrix 43 through the lens 44 onto the
target surface of the camera means 45. At the same time, a signal
is delivered from the control circuit 52 to the memory means 46 to
store scanning signal of the character projected onto the camera
means 45. All of the characters included in one line are thus
projected onto the camera means 45 in succession. If the scanning
signal of the character projected onto the camera means 45 is
stored in the memory means 46, a print button 51b in the
instruction button group 51 is pushed to deliver a signal to the
control circuit 52. The control circuit 52 becomes operated to
calculate the amount of a group of characters stored in the memory
means 46 and delivers a character scanning signal thus calculated
to the display means 47, whereby the character image is displayed
on the display means 47 and the character image thus displayed is
projected through the lens 48 onto the photosensitive medium
49.
If the character image is projected onto the photosensitive medium
49, the signal whose amount of feed is calculated in the control
circuit 52 is delivered to the feed circuit 50 to shift the
photosensitive medium 49 or the travelling lens system (not shown)
over a given distance. The above described operations are repeated
to print the characters corresponding to one line and then a new
line is begun and its beginning is brought into printing alignment
with the beginning of the preceeding line.
On the display means 47 may be displayed only one character or a
plurality of characters at the same time. In the case of
simultaneously displaying a plurality of characters on the display
means 47, the amount of feed calculated by the control circuit 52
is supplied to a deflecting circuit of the display means 47 so as
to adjust spacings between the adjacent characters and the feed
circuit 50 is operated such that the corresponding amount of feed
is delivered to the photosensitive medium 49.
The invention will now be described in greater detail with
reference to FIG. 6.
In the case of starting the composing operation, the operator
pushes those buttons of the instruction button group 51 which
correspond to, for example, character size, presence or absence of
modification in shape and its degree, amount of feed, line length,
and longitudinal or transverse composition so as to give
instructions correspondingly. Then, the character matrix 43 is
moved to and fro and left and right to find out a desired character
and to locate it at a exposure position. If the character selection
button 51a is pushed, the control circuit 52 becomes operated to
deliver a signal to the shutter 42 so as to make it open and close,
and as a result, the desired character on the character matrix 43
is projected through the lens 44 onto the target surface of the
camera means 45. Then, the control circuit 52 becomes operated to
deliver a signal to the memory means 46 to cause it to store the
scanning signal corresponding to the character projected onto the
camera means 45 in an image recording device 46a in the memory
means 46. At the same time, the number of operations of the shutter
42 is stored in a shutter number counter circuit 46b and stored
also in a character and space counter circuit 46c. In the similar
manner, all of the characters of one line are projected onto the
camera means 45 in succession. If the scanning signals
corresponding thereto are stored in the image recording device 46a,
the number of operations of shutter 42 is stored in the shutter
number counter circuit 46b, and the sum of the characters and
character spaces therebetween is stored in the character and space
counter circuit 46c. Then, a print button 51b in the instruction
button group 51 is pushed to deliver a signal to the control
circuit 52. Then, a control device 52a in the control circuit 52
becomes operated to calculate the amount of feed of the character
group stored in the image recording device 46a based on the signal
delivered from the character and space counter circuit 46c and
representing the number of feeds and based on the information such
as the character size, its modification in shape, the amount of
feed and the like and the amount of feed of the character group
thus calculated is delivered to a feed amount memory device 46d. In
addition, the control device 52a delivers a character scanning
signal to the display means 47 so as to display the character image
thereon which is projected through the lens 48 onto the
photosensitive medium 49 and photograph of the character image is
taken on the photosensitive medium 49. Then, the control device 52a
becomes operated to deliver a signal to the feed amount memory
device 46a and the feed amount stored therein is transmitted to the
feed circuit 50, thereby shifting the photosensitive medium 49 by a
necessary amount. The above described successive operations are
repeated to print all of the characters belonging to one line and
then the line is shifted to a new line and the print for the new
line is started.
Each of European characters is different in width from each other.
Strictly speaking, each of Japanese hiragana and katakana is
different in width. In the case of Japanese kana, its width becomes
different in dependence with the transverse composition or with the
longitudinal composition. Such is also applied to several chinese
characters.
In order to effect the character print by feeding the characters
whose widths are different from each other in accordance with the
character width, the character matrix 43 may be provided with a
character width mark and the like for every character. This
character width mark is detected when the character is projected
onto the camera means 45 so as to give an instruction to the feed
circuit 50, thereby feeding the photosensitive medium 49 in
response to the character width. Such measure is shown in FIG. 6 as
a character width detector 53. In the line length is given, the
control circuit 52 can effect a calculation with justification and
correct the character width by taking an accumulated width of all
of the widths of the characters belonging to one line, line length
and space between the characters, if necessary, into
consideration.
The above described manually operating photocomposing apparatus
according to the invention may be used to effect the above
mentioned various kinds of special composition. In the first place,
if a given number of characters are solidly composed within a line
having a given length, an amount of feed capable of reducing it in
response to characters is stored beforehand by the memory device in
the control circuit 52. This amount of feed capable of reducing it
is integrated every time the character is selected so as to
ascertain the number of characters which can be printed on one
line. In addition, calculation is effected so as to distribute the
remainder of the amount of feed over each of the characters. Then,
the character image is reproduced and an instruction is given to
the feed circuit 50 such that the photosensitive medium 49 is fed
by the calculated amount.
Similarly, in the case of European characters, all of the
characters once selected are stored in the memory means 46. The
selection of the characters is stopped within a range at which
justification is possible. The control circuit 52 is operated to
effect calculation in a manner such that the remainder of the line
length is distributed over every space between adjacent characters.
Then, the character image is produced and the feed of the
photosensitive medium 49 is effected. Thus, the European characters
can easily be composed with justification without effecting the
above described troublesome procedure of double composition. In the
case of the prohibition treatment, presence or absence of the
prohibition treatment at the beginning of line is discriminated.
Thus, several characters at the beginning of next line are selected
and if it is required to effect the prohibition treatment, the
control circuit 52 is so operated that the character at the end of
line is brought into the beginning of line. In addition, in order
to make each line length equal to another line length, a
calculation is effected such that the amount of feed of the
character at the end of line by one character is suitably
distributed over the line to increase the space between the
adjacent characters. This calculation result is instructed to the
feed circuit 50.
Similarly, reset type calculation, flush right and left, flush
centered, composition of chemical structural formulas, composition
of musical notes and the like may be effected. In these cases, in
the first place, required character, mark and the like are selected
and then the amount of feed relative to the character and mark is
determined and subsequently, the photosensitive medium 49 is fed in
accordance with such amount of feed.
As stated hereinbefore, all of the characters belonging to one line
are selected and then the print button 51b of the instruction
button group 51 is pushed to effect the printing. Alternatively,
the number of characters belonging to one line or the line length
may be instructed beforehand to the control means 52. In this case,
the reproduction and feed are automatically effected when the
number of characters or the line length is reached. Similarly, the
solid composition, European characters prohibition treatment and
other various kinds of special compositions may be effected. In
addition, the lenses 44, 48 may be changed or the deflecting
circuit voltage of the display means 47, for example, cathode ray
tube may be suitably be selected so as to magnify or reduce the
characters. Similarly, this measure ensures any modification in
shape of the characters.
In FIG. 6, reference numeral 54 designates a monitor display means
which is composed of a display television device 54a, a display
refresh memory 54b connected to outputs of the image recording
device 46a and the feed amount memory device 46d, respectively, and
delivering a signal to the display television device 54a, a
character position display device 54c, and a character position
register 54d connected to an output of the control device 52a of
the control circuit 52 and delivering a signal to the character
position display device 54c.
The above described monitor display means 54 is capable of
displaying the character image which has been stored in the memory
means 46 before the character image is printed on the
photosensitive medium 49. As a result, the monitor display means 54
serves to display the character image beforehand and hence to
correct such image by effecting addition and removal of any desired
character.
In addition, the monitor display means 54 makes it possible to
solidly compose the European characters as shown in FIG. 1b and the
Japanese characters as shown in FIG. 2b while directly observing
these characters with the operator's eyes, and as a result, the
solid composition can be proceeded while confirming the amount of
solid and position of the characters.
As stated hereinbefore, the manually operating photocomposing
apparatus according to the invention makes use of a camera means,
memory means and display means and which can store characters to be
printed and then determine the amount of feed and subsequently
print these characters on a photosensitive medium. Thus, the
invention has the advantage that various kinds of workings such as
increase and decrease of a character space, modification in shape
thereof and the like can be effected during a time from selection
of characters to real print, that various kinds of special
composition such as a solid composition, European composition,
prohibition treatment and the like can be effected in a very simple
manner, and that burden imposed on an operator can be relieved.
* * * * *